About this project

£9,181

217

backers

Very early Monday morning something AMAZING happened. 131 very special people helped us hit our minimum kickstarter goal...

BUT IT ISN'T OVER!

We want to shoot for a 5th day.

Time is money, especially on a film set. The lengthy makeup application means we will only ever have a handful of hours in a shooting day to deliver the sequences you want to see! If we only shoot for 4 days we have to significantly cut back on the what we can show, both in terms of story and a SFX. We want to have the freedom to accomplish EVERYTHING in maria's story and deliver on the promise of the SFX team. A whole extra day of shooting is going to give the team more time to ensure the team is able to make this film the BEST it can possibly be.

Help us reach 10K so we can afford the production an extra shooting day!

‘He Took His Skin Off For Me’ is an adaptation of the original short story by award-winning writer Maria Hummer. Its vision of the skinless man as a twisted modern-day fairytale is powerful, evocative and beautiful. Think Margaret Atwood meets David Cronenberg.

SYNOPSIS

"Is this what you want? he asked, and I said yes, so he took his skin off for me."

He hangs the loose skin in the closet and comes downstairs to join his girlfriend at the dinner table. This whole thing seems like a good idea. He's become what she always wanted him to be.

But it's not all perfect.

It's the small things. The stains. She has to wash the sheets every day. At night he gets cold, so they have to turn up the heat. This means more bills. And gas isn't cheap...

In fact, money is more of a problem than ever. He's losing clients at work and they begin to fight about it. She tells him they're the wrong clients anyway.

Old friends come over for dinner, but the party does not go well. He is quiet and withdrawn. The house is covered in stains - more than she can possibly clean.

They stop talking. The silence is deafening. She begins to worry that he resents her.

He does.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

Reading this story for the first time I knew that it deserved to be seen, not just read. The imagery
leaps off the page and grabs you by the back of the neck.

It's a fairytale. The wonderful thing about fairytales is how they relate back to our real lives. The setup is so shocking it demands us to make sense of it.

The power of the allegory is how multifaceted it is. For some this is a story of nakedness, about holding out when your partner has bared themselves for you. Others read it as a cautionary tale of an imbalanced investment in another person.

When I read it I see a someone who changes themselves for another person. A love that demands such a one-way sacrifice is fundamentally doomed. The story urges us to see a toxic relationship for what it really is - horrifying. We, the audience, see this from the beginning, and the moment the narrator understands it for herself the story ends.

"The fact is, taking off your skin just to be with somebody... It's only ever going to end messy"

SO, HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?

Bringing this story to life is undoubtedly an ambitious task. After spending a lot of time researching our options we believe Practical SFX have a substance and reality that can hit you harder than anything else. Films like The Fly, Alien and The Thing created tactile, living worlds that have stood the test of time.

We know that we need to believe in the effect for the film to have any effect, and we have decided our only option is a combination of prosthetic practical effects and makeup. A tall order.

So we decided to get some help...

Colin Arthur

Colin is a living-legend of SFX! In the 1960’s he was to assistant Ray Harryhausen with his stop-motion model animation movies like the Sinbad films and the original Clash of the Titans! He also created Falkor and other creatures for Never Ending Story. One of the highlights of his career was his work with Stanley Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey, where he was responsible together with Stuart Freeborn for the development and production of the Ape masks in the Dawn of Man sequence.

We are delighted to announce that Colin and his wife Sarah have agreed to come on board as official SFX mentors on the project. With his advice and guidance we were able to build an exciting team of talented, young SFX artists; lead by Jen Cardno, Hermes Pittakos and Tom Smith.

So we went and shot some test footage!

Colin and SFX Supervisor Jen Cardno mix fancy chemicals

notice the iPhone selfie... it ended up with 90,000 views on reddit! http://imgur.com/NybU21Z

Hard at work- the amazing Tom Smith and Hermes Pittakos make magic happen

Maria, our hard working writer, had to step in at the last minute and play her own character for the day! In her own words - 'it was sticky...'

SO WHAT DO YOU NEED THE MONEY FOR?

We have been able to build an exciting team of talented SFX artists to join us in this journey. But there is a limit to how far goodwill and gumption will take us. There are base costs to the materials we are using, and it's not cheap.

The build itself is also a long, arduous process. We have to take into account the costs for travel, lunches and studio space for the several weeks it takes to make this thing come to life.

I have already invested £7,000 of my my own money to cover the costs of production; it's how much I believe in this project. It's everything I have, but it's not enough. We know we have to really deliver on this film for you guys, and we've determined that an additional £7,000 is the absolute minimum we will be able to do this on.

What happens if the money isn’t raised in time?

If our goal isn’t met before the deadline, no money changes hands and no movie is made. We want to avoid this scenario at all costs!

What are the rewards you mentioned?

This isn't a one way street! If you pledge at certain levels, you can claim some wonderful swag! Check out the right of the page to see some of the goodies we have to give out.

Who does the money go to?

Every penny (minus the fees for Kickstarter’s involvement) will go directly into the movie budget - i.e. your money goes directly to the funding of this film.

I'm not in the UK. Can I still pledge to the project?

Yes! You can pledge from anywhere.

SO WHO ARE YOU GUYS?

Ben is a 26-year-old London born filmmaker, raised in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Australia and Bath. After graduating with a BA in Philosophy from Kings College London, he moved on to the London Film School; this will be his graduation film. His last film ‘Dinner and a Movie’ has been officially selected for the Palm Springs Shortfest 2013, the London Short Film Festival 2013 and the Edinburgh Film Festival 2013 which named him a 'British director of tomorrow'.

Maria Hummer was born and raised in Toledo, OH, has lived in Seoul, Korea and currently resides in London. She has a BFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Screenwriting. She is a jack of all trades, having worked as a professional taste tester, youth hostel manager, development editor. and British-American translator (yes, that's a thing apparently). In addition to working on short and
feature film projects she has a flourishing fiction career, with five short
stories accepted for publication this quarter alone. She is currently working on her
first novel.

Fiona is a
skilled Production Finance Manager with 8 solid years of experience. She joined Channel 4 in 2004 and currently works for their feature film division, Film4. Her credits include films like 'Attack the Block', 'Four Lions' and 'Submarine'. Fiona has produced two
short films: 'The Prayer' by Shola Amoo and Nosa Nedion and 'Close' by Geoffrey Taylor.

Jen spent her formative years scrabbling around in the dirt collecting insects, and not an awful lot has changed. After finishing her two-year Fine Art National Diploma with a Triple Award Distinction, she went on to study illustration at the UWE. Experimenting with modelmaking and animation at the end of the third year, she graduated suddenly in 2008, and went straight into work at Bolex Brothers Studios. After freelancing at SFX and prop houses for a few years, she decided she wanted a master's degree, and is currently half way through an MA in animation at the Royal College of Art, London.

Yiannis studied Philosophy, Economics and Project Management before realising he had to make films instead. He hasn't stopped doing so since and does not intend to. Yiannis studied at the London Film School, specialising in cinematography. Since then he has been involved in numerous student and professional productions with his newly founded company Filmstead, in the effort to grow as a cinematographer and do what he does best, sharing stories through the creation of cinematic images.

Risks and challenges

Risks and challenges lie at the very core of filmmaking. With a project this ambitious they are ramped up even more so. That's why we've surrounded ourselves with incredibly talented and hardworking people. What we're asking our team to pull off is incredible, but they're an incredible bunch! The advantage of practical effects is that when the filming is done, you really have it. As such our post production schedule is far more streamlined than a movie relying more on VFX.

We'll be putting in a lot of our own sweat equity to cut down on costs. This means we might take a bit longer to create the pieces than usual. Having said that, the more you pledge, the faster we'll be able to complete the film and the better it will be!

When the campaign is over, we will keep you up to date with the production, post production and delivery of 'Skin' and all Kickstarter reward tiers to make sure that you are fully in the loop. If you want to ask us a question, do email info@fruittreemedia.co.uk at any point and we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible.

We're building a community of like minded film lovers! Any problems, delays and hurdles successfully managed, as well as all cool things that happen along the way, will be included on our wonderful facebook page. Give us a like!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £15 or more
About $22

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD! Once our festival run is complete, you'll get a high-def digital download of the short film, which you can put on your computer, phone, ipad or google glass like thing! (plus all the above)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £20 or more
About $30

ONLINE PREMIERE PARTY!!! -- Don't like waiting for things? Backers receive a password-protected link to view a sneak peek of the film months before its public premiere! This exclusive window will last 48 hours. Plus you STILL get the digital download when it's available, plus all the above.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £70 or more
About $104

You're the 1%! You just got yourself a ticket to the PREMIERE IN LONDON! Have a drink with the team and we'll throw in a muscle for the road! (Plus digital download, online premiere, IMDB credit, all artwork, soundtrack, behind the scenes, wallpaper, script and exclusive content)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £100 or more
About $149

STORY TIME! Award wining author Maria Hummer will write you a personalised story. Send in a character name and setting and you'll receive a one-off piece of flash fiction that's been written JUST FOR YOU! She's the magical mind behind 'Skin' - what amazing stories are you guys going to make together? (PLUS digital download, online premiere, ticket to premiere, IMDB credit, all artwork, soundtrack, behind the scenes, wallpaper, script and exclusive content)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £130 or more
About $194

HANDWRITTEN STORY TIME! Maria will write a story in a personal letter and post it to you herself! The pen is truly mightier than the keyboard. And yes, Maria has lovely handwriting (PLUS digital download, online premiere, ticket to premiere, IMDB credit, all artwork, soundtrack, behind the scenes, wallpaper, script and exclusive content)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £200 or more
About $298

PERSONAL VIDEO MESSAGE FROM THE SKINLESS MAN! Freak out your friends! Come up with a fun message for our lead to deliver in full makeup. PLUS a special thanks in the film's credits. (PLUS digital download, online premiere, ticket to premiere, IMDB credit, all artwork, soundtrack, behind the scenes, wallpaper, script and exclusive content)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £250 or more
About $372

Private skype QnA with the team! Have some serious face-time to talk about the film, the production, SFX and more! Plus a signed MOVIE POSTER! (PLUS personal skinless video message, digital download, online premiere, ticket to premiere, IMDB credit, all artwork, soundtrack, behind the scenes, wallpaper, script, exclusive content and name in credits)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £500 or more
About $745

Welcome to the team! You're an ASSOCIATE PRODUCER of the film! -- This is an exciting way for you to really be a part of the making of our short film and get your name up there in the lights! (PLUS signed poster, personal skinless video message, QnA with team, digital download, online premiere, ticket to premiere, IMDB credit, all artwork, soundtrack, behind the scenes, wallpaper, script, exclusive content and name in credits)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £1,000 or more
About $1,489

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CREDIT -- You are an indelible part of this film. Expect to see your name name up on the poster! By helping us out with this generous amount, you are going to help us get this film to the public faster! You are incredible! Thank you SO MUCH!!! (PLUS signed poster, personal skinless video message, QnA with team, digital download, online premiere, ticket to premiere, IMDB credit, all artwork, soundtrack, behind the scenes, wallpaper, script, exclusive content and name in credits)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £1,500 or more
About $2,234

THE SKIN! -- This is the holy grail of skin props. The full human suit he hangs in the closet. It's a powerful, one-off piece of art that's guaranteed to turn heads and blow minds. Plus an EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CREDIT and all that comes with it!